A Supplement
to Clarke's Dictionary of Practical Materia Medica

by Peter
David Fraser

These are Clarke's
original abbreviations used in The Dictionary which I have generally followed
in adding remedies to the Supplement. Additional Abbreviations
that I have introduced are listed at the end.

Explanation of abbreviations and signs

Books

M.M. P.-Materia Medica Pura of Hahnemann,
Dudgeon's translation.

C.D. P.-Cyclopaedia of Drug Pathogenesy.

B.P. -Bristish Pharmacopoeia.

Journals.

H.W. -Homoeopathic World.

H.R. -Homoeopathic Recorder.

H.P. -Homoeopathic Physician.

Med. Adv.-Medical Advance.

Amer. Hom.-American Homoeopathist.

N.A. F.H. -North American Journal of Homoeopathy.

H.M. -Hahnemannian Monthly.

Words.

N.O. -Natural order.

A.W. -Atomic weight.

Esp. -Especially.

R. -Right.

L. -Left.

Roman figures following the name of a work
signify the volume of the work,

Arabic figures signify the page.

Signs

< means "aggravation", "worse",
or "increase."

> means "amelioration", "better",
or "decrease."

These signs are used in the sense indicated,
either as nouns, verbs (present or past tense), or adjectives. For instance
: "Pain { by rest" may be translated "Pain aggravated by rest,"
or "Pain worse by rest." Here the sign is used in the adjective
way. "{By rest" means that there is "aggravation by rest."
Here { takes the place of a noun. "Motion { pain" means "Motion
aggravates or increases pain." Here it is a verb. The idea is the same
in all cases, and the sense obvious. ">By rest" means amelioration
or relief by rest. "Motion > pain" means "Motion relieves
or decreases pain." "Toothache > by cold" means "Toothache
relieved, ameliorated, or lessened by cold." Sometimes the particle is
omitted, but the sense is the same. ">Rest" means "Relief
by rest." "Rest >" means "Rest relieves." "Kali
bi. has blindness with headache; blindness > as headache {". This
means that the blindness of the Kali bi. headache becomes better as the headache
becomes worse. I think the utility of the these signs will be generally recognised,
and the sense cannot be in doubt in passages where they occur.

Another sign which I have often found useful
in my private notes I have introduced occasionally into the Dictionary. I
mean the equation sigh "=" in the sense of causation. "Causation"
and "aggravation" are not always identical, though the influences
which set up a morbid condition will generally aggravate the condition if
existing already. I have used, "=" as an indeclinable verb : "Motion
= vomiting" means "Motion causes vomiting." "Heat = all
eruptions to itch intolerably," means "Heat causes all eruptions
to itch intolerably."